It can be more difficult for single parents to attain homeownership because it is harder to save for a down payment and make monthly mortgage payments with a single income, along with the additional living expenses of children to afford.

A variety of homeownership programs are offered by the government and non-profit organizations which can help people with relatively low incomes afford to own a home. Single parents are more likely to have eligibility for these programs, due to their typically lower household income. A few programs offer additional benefits or greater eligibility for single parents…

Single parents have a higher likelihood of acceptance in the Habitat For Humanity (HFH) homeownership program, and generally face a somewhat smaller work contribution requirement than families with two parents. Families help in home construction and are able to purchase a house at limited expense in exchange. According to their web site, the average cost to the owner of an HFH home in the U.S. is only about sixty thousand dollars. The USDA Direct Loan Homeownership Program (Section 502) operates on the basis of a similar concept to promote ownership among people with low or average income levels.

Some state and local government homeownership programs also benefit single parents. For example, the Georgia Dream mortgage program is available to people with a “moderate” income level; it also offers interest-free second mortgages to single parents (as well as first-time or displaced buyers), which provide assistance in paying for the closing costs and down payment. The San Jose city homeownership program has somewhat more favorable eligibility requirements for single parents, and similar programs exist elsewhere. According to FHA.com, a variety of other programs are available which help potential home buyers, including single parents, to afford making a downpayment.

Most other homeownership programs do not specifically favor one parent households, but are more likely to benefit these families because of their lack of a second income. Single parents who are also first-time home buyers or have had to relocate because of a natural disaster will have a better chance of qualifying for some home ownership programs. In general, these types of programs decrease the cost of a mortgage and/or make it less difficult to obtain one.

Regardless of help offered by homeownership programs, it remains important for the individual to carefully consider his or her ability to continuously afford the mortgage payments, property taxes, and other extra expenses associated with homeownership.